This course explores the principles of preoperative assessment in veterinary practice and the role it plays in safe anaesthesia and patient care. It covers gathering a thorough patient history, performing a nose-to-tail examination, assessing vital signs and hydration, evaluating mucous membranes, and identifying abnormalities that may affect anaesthetic safety. The course also introduces common pre-anaesthetic tests, including blood work and plasma protein assessment, and highlights patient risk factors such as age, breed, dehydration, and concurrent disease that may influence anaesthetic planning and recovery.

Key Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Understand the importance of preoperative assessment before anaesthesia
• Recognise the key components of a patient history and physical examination
• Identify baseline parameters and abnormalities that may affect anaesthetic risk
• Understand the role of pre-anaesthetic testing in patient assessment
• Recognise common risk factors that can influence anaesthetic planning and recovery

CPD Points:

• 1 AVNAT CPD point